Claudio Reyna facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Claudio Reyna

Reyna with the New York Red Bulls in 2008
Personal information
Date of birth	(1973-07-20) July 20, 1973 (age 52)
Place of birth	Livingston, New Jersey, U.S.
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
1988–1991	St. Benedict's Gray Bees
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1991–1993	Virginia Cavaliers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1999	Bayer 04 Leverkusen	26	(0)
1997–1999	→ VfL Wolfsburg (loan)	48	(6)
1999–2001	Rangers	64	(10)
2001–2003	Sunderland	28	(3)
2003–2007	Manchester City	87	(4)
2007–2008	New York Red Bulls	29	(0)
Total		282	(23)
International career
1994–2006	United States	112	(8)
Medal record Men's football Representing  United States CONCACAF Gold Cup Runner-up 1998 United States Third 1996 United States Third 2003 United States-Mexico Pan American Games Gold 1991 Havana Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Claudio Alejandro Reyna (born July 20, 1973) is a famous American former professional soccer player. He was a talented midfielder who played for many top clubs in Europe. After his playing career, he became a sports executive. His last role was as the sporting director for Austin FC.

Claudio Reyna spent most of his career playing soccer in Europe. He played in Germany for Bayer 04 Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg. He also played in England for Sunderland and Manchester City. In Scotland, he played for Rangers. He finished his playing career in 2008 with the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer, where he was the team's captain.

Reyna played 112 games for the U.S. men's national team between 1994 and 2006. He was chosen for four FIFA World Cup tournaments. He retired from the national team after the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He also played in two Olympic tournaments and four CONCACAF Gold Cups. In 2002, he was named to the World Cup Team of the Tournament, which was a big honor. In 2012, he was added to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

After retiring from playing, Reyna continued to work in soccer. He became the technical director for New York City FC in 2013. He held this job until 2019. Then, he joined Austin FC in a similar role, staying there until 2023.

Early Life and Soccer Beginnings

Claudio Reyna's father, Miguel, moved to the United States from Argentina in 1968. Miguel had played professional soccer in Argentina. Claudio was born in Livingston, New Jersey, and learned to play soccer from his father.

High School and College Soccer

Reyna started playing youth soccer at Jonathan Dayton High School. He then moved to Saint Benedict's Preparatory School. There, he played with future U.S. national team player Gregg Berhalter. During Reyna's three years at St. Benedict's, the team never lost a game (65–0). Reyna was named the national high school Player of the Year twice.

After high school, Reyna received a full scholarship to the University of Virginia. He played for the men's soccer team from 1991 to 1993. His coach was Bruce Arena, who later coached the U.S. national team. The Virginia team won the NCAA Championship all three years Reyna was there. Reyna also won individual awards, like the Hermann Trophy in 1993.

Professional Club Career

Playing in Germany

On August 8, 1994, Reyna signed with Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a club in Germany's top league, the Bundesliga. He had just played in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. It was hard for him to get much playing time with Leverkusen at first.

In July 1997, Leverkusen loaned Reyna to another Bundesliga team, VfL Wolfsburg. He quickly became an important player for Wolfsburg. He even became the first American player to be captain of a European club team.

Time in Scotland with Rangers

In April 1999, the Scottish club Rangers bought Reyna from Leverkusen and Wolfsburg. Reyna played for Rangers until December 2001. Even though he was known as a creative midfielder, he often played on the right side of the midfield for Rangers. He scored 13 goals for the club. One of his most important goals helped Rangers qualify for the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League.

Playing in England

On December 7, 2001, Reyna signed a five-year contract with Sunderland in England's Premier League. He joined for a fee of £4 million. He made his first appearance for Sunderland on December 15. A week later, he scored his first goal for the club against Everton. In April 2002, he scored two goals in a game against Leicester City.

In October 2002, Reyna got a serious knee injury while playing against Bolton Wanderers. This injury kept him out of action for six months and ended his season.

Reyna then joined Manchester City on August 29, 2003. He played 87 games for Manchester City and scored four goals. However, he often had injuries during his time there. On January 11, 2007, Manchester City agreed to end Reyna's contract so he could move back to the United States for family reasons.

Return to the U.S. with New York Red Bulls

On January 24, 2007, Reyna signed with the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. He reunited with his former college and national team coach, Bruce Arena. But just like in England, Reyna was often bothered by injuries. He played only 27 games in two years with the Red Bulls. He announced his retirement from professional soccer on July 16, 2008.

International Career for the U.S. Team

Reyna practicing with the U.S. national soccer team in 2006.

Claudio Reyna played his first game for the U.S. national team on January 15, 1994. He was part of the team for the 1994 FIFA World Cup held in the U.S., but he couldn't play due to a hamstring injury. He did play in the 1998, 2002, and 2006 FIFA World Cup tournaments.

In the 2002 World Cup, even though he missed the first game due to injury, he was a very important player in the next three games. The U.S. team reached the quarterfinals, where they lost to Germany. Reyna was named to the World Cup All-Star Team, becoming the first American player to receive this honor.

In the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Reyna was again the captain of the U.S. team. He played well, but in the final group game against Ghana, he got a knee injury.

On June 23, 2006, after the U.S. team was out of the World Cup, Reyna announced he was retiring from the national team. He played 111 games for his country and scored eight goals.

Reyna also represented the U.S. at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In Great Britain, people sometimes called him Captain America because he was the captain of the U.S. national team.

Soccer Executive Roles

New York City FC

On May 22, 2013, Reyna was named Sporting Director for the new MLS team, New York City FC. Under his leadership, New York City FC reached the conference semifinals in four out of five years. The team earned more points than any other MLS team between 2016 and 2019. Reyna left the club in November 2019.

Austin FC

On November 21, 2019, Reyna became the Sporting Director for another new MLS team, Austin FC. He worked with his former U.S. national team friend, Josh Wolff, who was the head coach. Reyna helped guide Austin FC through their first two seasons, including reaching the MLS Western Conference Finals in 2022.

On January 26, 2023, Reyna stepped down from his role as sporting director. This happened after some disagreements about how things should be done within the U.S. Soccer Federation, especially concerning his son, Giovanni. He remained as a technical advisor for a short time before leaving the club completely by April 17, 2023. The U.S. Soccer Federation later updated its rules to help prevent similar situations in the future.

Personal Life

Claudio Reyna married Danielle Egan in July 1997. Danielle was also a soccer player for the United States women's national soccer team. They have four children: Jack (who passed away in 2012 from brain cancer), Giovanni (born 2002), Joah-Mikel, and Carolina. Giovanni, named after Claudio's former teammate Giovanni van Bronckhorst, is also a professional soccer player. He joined Borussia Dortmund's youth academy in 2018.

In February 2012, Reyna was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He speaks English and Spanish fluently, and he can also speak German.

Career Statistics

International Goals

Claudio Reyna scored 8 goals for the United States national team during his career. Here are his international goals:

List of international goals scored by Claudio Reyna

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	April 20, 1994	Davidson, North Carolina, United States	Moldova	3–0	3–0	Friendly
2	May 7, 1994	Fullerton, California, United States	Estonia	2–0	4–0	Friendly
3	June 18, 1995	Washington, D.C., United States	Mexico	4–0	4–0	Friendly
4	June 9, 1996	Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States	Ireland	2–0	2–0	Friendly
5	November 9, 1997	Vancouver, Canada	Canada	1–0	3–0	1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying
6	April 22, 1998	Vienna, Austria	Austria	3–0	3–0	Friendly
7	February 6, 1999	Jacksonville, Florida, United States	Germany	3–0	3–0	Friendly
8	June 3, 2000	Washington, D.C., United States	South Africa	3–0	4–0	Friendly

Awards and Achievements

Claudio Reyna won several awards and honors during his soccer career:

With Rangers (Club Team)

• Scottish Premier League: 1999–2000
• Scottish Cup: 1999–2000

Individual Awards

• Hermann Trophy: 1993 (Award for the best college soccer player)
• Fútbol de Primera Player of the Year: 2000
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2002
• Soccer America College Team of the Century

See also

In Spanish: Claudio Reyna para niños